


where the wind blows

by sunken_entropy



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aangst, Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Kataang - Freeform, My First Work in This Fandom, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape Recovery, ive never written a fic before but im trying, me corrupting a childrens show to deal with my own trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:35:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29212008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunken_entropy/pseuds/sunken_entropy
Summary: It was years after the war, and things have yet to fall into place. After being captured by rebel forces, Aang is left to cope with the unspeakable.I've had this idea in my head for a while! It's a little dark, but ultimately this is a story of love and recovery in the aftermath of trauma.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Leverage

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm new to fanfiction, but I'm super excited to create this story. There's nothing triggering in this chapter, just some exposition necessary to the rest of the plot. Please review and let me know how I'm doing!  
> I will post trigger warnings as needed at the beginning of each chapter. I have the rest of the story mapped out, and should have the rest of the chapters uploaded within the next few days. Thanks for reading!

Aang woke up slowly, a rare delight, as the morning sun crept through the thin curtains. The war ended three years ago, and while he thought that would ensure peace, there was still much to do. His days were filled with meetings, reconstruction and travel, as he and his friends desperately attempted to restore the four nations. Hence, slow mornings such as this one did not come as often as he would have liked.  
He turned on to his side to see Katara still asleep, her chest falling slowly in tune with her breaths. Her hair was messy, undone and framing her face beautifully. He’s had years to get used to this sight, the strong waterbender completely vulnerable and at peace, and he has yet to get over the feeling it invokes. He fell for her as a child, and that love only seemed to grow with time.  
No longer able to resist, Aang reached out to tuck a rogue strand behind her ear, effectively waking her from her slumber.  
“Morning,” he said with a smile, as Katara opened her eyes and yawned. She didn’t respond, only emitting a muffled humph before closing her eyes again. He chuckled, ever since he met her she had never risen from bed enthusiastically. Being a morning person was not in a waterbender’s nature.  
“Come on, we should get up. I don’t have any meetings until the afternoon, and I wanted to get breakfast,” he urged her awake with a light shake to her shoulder.  
“Curse the firebender in you, ‘rising with the sun’ and all that,” she grumbled in faux annoyance. “Can’t we sleep in for once?”  
“It’s later than usual, I count that as sleeping in. Besides, if you get up now I’ll make it worth your while.” He responded with a smirk.   
Her curiosity peaked, she opened her eyes again and glared. “Fine. But you’re making this up to me.”  
Aang’s face broke into his signature toothy grin before he leaned forward to kiss her briefly. “Of course! Avatar’s promise.”  
With that the couple got out of bed and dressed for the day. Katara was finishing tying the knot on her skirt when she felt the unmistakable warmth of his strong arms wrap around her center. She turned in his grasp to face him as her hand found his way up to his neck. He was taller than her now, at least a foot taller than when she found him in the iceberg. She gazed into his eyes, and any irritation she felt at being woken up melted away.  
Their lips met, and it was soft at first, but the kiss quickly gave way to passion. His hands trailed up and down her sides lovingly, before resting on her hips and giving a gentle squeeze. Her grip on him tightened, and he was just about to undo the hard work she put into tying her robes when they heard a repetitive knock at the door. With a grunt of frustration Aang’s head fell to her shoulder as he called to the not so welcome visitor.  
“Yes?”  
Sokka’s increasingly obnoxious voice came through the door, obviously not understanding that he was interrupting. “Guys get up! One of the Earth King’s servants brought a message to the house this morning, you’re going to want to see it.” With that he was gone, his footsteps becoming distant as he made his way down the hall.  
“So much for breakfast, hm?” Katara said, her breath sending shivers down his spine as it made contact with the skin on his neck.  
“I’m sorry, we just don’t get as much time together as I want. When was the last time we did something fun together, just the two of us?” Aang replied, as his hands came up to caress the sides of her face.  
“Well I’d say last night was pretty fun, though I’m not sure that’s what you meant.” His cheeks flushed with a reminder of exactly what they were doing last night, and he smiled.  
“And you say I’m the lewd one.”  
“Come on, we shouldn’t keep them waiting.” With that she broke away from his embrace, and made her way towards the door, slipping out into the hall.  
He looked after her wistfully, before following in her footsteps.

\---

Turns out, life was about to get a lot more complicated. The messenger from the Earth King had brought over an urgent message for the group, announcing that the rebel forces working in the name of Ozai had coordinated an attack on prominent political figures throughout the Earth Kingdom last night. The gang had been dealing with the Fire Nation loyalists since the end of the war, but they had never posed such a threat. Six nobles and governors were dead, and the forces were not to be underestimated again.  
“Are you kidding me?” Katara nearly shouted once Sokka finished reading the message aloud. Her fists were balled at her sides and she was shaking from either fear or fury.  
“We need to contact the White Lotus and get the rest of the state governors under protection while we get this sorted out, and while we’re at it, we should write to Zuko.” Sokka said. It was natural for him to begin to form plans as soon as trouble arised, and while his bossy nature could get out of hand, the rest found it rather comforting that he fell into the leadership role so easily. Suki was at his side, a hand resting gently on his shoulder as he spoke.  
“God these fire nation assholes really need to get a grip, I mean Ozai is fucking powerless, what do they expect to happen if he were to regain the throne?” Toph huffed from her seat at the dining table, feet kicked up and hands behind her head. In her frustration she pounded a fist onto the table and caused a small flurry of rocks to go flying about the room.  
The group began talking quickly, putting their heads together to try to decide on a reasonable course of action. All but Aang, who stood in the doorway, not having moved a muscle since he entered the room. His staff was gripped in his hand, his knuckles turning white as he tried to calm his anger and guilt.  
Katara noticed this after a few minutes of arguing with Sokka, and she turned to face him. “Any thoughts on what we should do?”  
The room went quiet as heads turned in Aang’s direction. He always had the final say with these things, his Avatar authority was hard to argue with.  
“I-I don’t know,” his brow furrowed and his head dropped. Logically, he knew he’s changed the world for the better since he became the Avatar. He ended a 100 year war, put a stop to conflict and treachery across the four nations all the while restoring balance and harmony. And yet, everytime someone dies at the hand of the Fire Nation rebels he is overcome with guilt. He feels like he should have done more, done something to bring an end to national separations and disputes beyond taking out the firelord. No matter what Aang feels one step behind.  
“Well I’ve got an idea,” Sokka states confidently. “We go to the press. They obviously want Aang, in their eyes he’s at fault for the fall of the Fire Nation’s empire. We publicly draw them out of hiding, and wham-bam whapow hit them with some Avatar state action and we’re home free.” He finishes by slamming the scroll on the table in false victory.  
“Sokka you idiot it’s not that simple.” Katara sighs, she hated it when everything fell on Aang’s shoulders in the end, a reminder of all the responsibility he holds at the young age of sixteen.  
“No he might be onto something,” Aang steps forward towards the scroll distributed on the table. He picks it up and glances over it as if he wasn’t already aware of what it said. “It says here that the loyalists are looking for revenge, if we go to the press and announce that we’re willing to trade the Avatar for peace, they’ll probably stop the attacks.”  
“Okay absolutely not. There is no way you’re going to surrender yourself! They’ll kill you!” If Katara was shaking before, now she was absolutely trembling, Aang’s self-sacrificing instincts made her want to scream, it was as if he had no idea what it feels like to lose him, to think that he’s not going to be okay, that he won’t be with her…  
“Katara, sweetie it will be fine,” He sets his staff down and comes over to take her in his arms. “I’m not going to actually surrender myself, it will just bring them out of hiding and give us an opportunity to attack.” He felt her slightly relax at those words, the anxiety slowly draining out of her body when she realizes that he won’t be alone. “Besides, you can’t really get rid of me that easily.”  
She smiled up at him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before turning to face the rest of the group. “Fine, we should head to the press now, we’ll probably want to get this underway before nightfall.” With that, she walked out with an air of purpose, Aang in tow.  
“Oh so when I suggest a plan I’m an idiot but when your boyfriend says the exact same thing suddenly we’re all going to go through with- OW Toph don’t hit me.” Sokka rubs his arm, throbbing from where the blind girl punched him.  
“Shut up Sokka, lets go.” The earthbender started marching in pursuit of Katara and Aang.  
“Ugh, I am so underappreciated around here.” He grumbled.  
“I appreciate you, but stop whining we have bigger problems to deal with.” Suki said, kissing him lightly on the cheek before grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the rest of their friends. 

\---

For once, things seemed to be going according to plan. The Ba Sing Se newspapers had gotten the word out almost immediately, alerting the public and any potential Ozai loyalists that the Avatar would be waiting outside the outer ring at sundown, to discuss a possible truce. Of course, the gang knew that there would be no truce, but were instead hiding out of sight for when the loyalists attacked. They hoped to capture at least one of the attackers, and bring them in for questioning. This would give them the information necessary to bring down the rebels as a whole.  
Katara was hiding behind some inconspicuous boulders beside Suki, the sun was just beginning to set, leaving the landscape looking radiant, bathed in the orange hues. The view did nothing to calm her nerves. She knew Aang was more than capable of holding his own, so why did she feel so anxious? The knot in her stomach made her queasy, and her hands shook as he fumbled with her water pouch. She thought of Sokka and Toph, on the other side of Aang, in a very similar position.  
“Katara, calm down. It’s going to be okay. Aang’s tough, and we’re all here to help him in case things go wrong, right?” Suki put a comforting arm around her, and gave her a small smile. Over the last few years, Katara and Suki had become very close. Each were strong warriors, but were nurturing by nature. This gentle juxtaposition helped them to understand and support each other through most everything.  
“I know, I just- I can’t shake this feeling. It’s almost as if I know something is going to go wrong.” Katara replied, sinking to her knees behind the rocks. Almost on cue, she heard footsteps behind her. She whipped around, ready to strike, but was caught off guard when her mouth was covered by stone. “The Dai Li,” she thought, “Of course they’re involved, we didn’t account for potential earthbending attacks!” Before she knew it, she and Suki both were rendered completely immobile and outnumbered by a group of Dai Li agents.  
Katara turned to face Suki, and was terrified to see the look of fear in her eyes. Suddenly, Katara came to a realization. Aang was strong, easily the strongest man alive, but he would agree to anything if it was to save the people he loved. The loyalists now had leverage, and with it, they had the Avatar. 

\---

Aang stood outside the outer ring, enjoying the sunset as he waited. Judging by the position of the sun, the loyalists were late. Perhaps they wouldn’t show, and the group would have to start from square one in tracking them down.  
As soon as he began to worry, he saw figures approaching in the distance. As they came closer, he recognized the Fire Nation emblem on their uniforms, similar to those worn during the war. The only difference was the gold trim, and elaborate helmets, obviously designed as a tribute to Ozai’s short-lived reign as the Phoenix King.  
“Ah young Avatar, it is such a pleasure to see you in your last moments,” the leader said, giving a short bow, his eyes never leaving Aang’s. “How wonderful it is that you have decided to surrender.”  
“I’m not here to surrender,” Aang responded, planting his staff firmly in the ground to emphasize his words. “I’m here to discuss a treaty, perhaps we can both leave satisfied.”  
“Ah, that simply cannot be. But I will entertain your false hope. I am Shon Ya, proud leader and founder of the Society of New Ozai. We are the humble few who are not afraid of the Avatar’s wrath, and we stand to restore the Fire Nation to its former glory.” Shon Ya stood with his arms clasped behind his back, his small army standing behind him. “Now we can do this easily, or you can make it difficult. Surrender now, and we will not hurt you.”  
“I’ll say it again, I will not surrender. I just want to discuss how we can come to peace with our differences, and the attacks on political figures can stop.” Aang was growing nervous, there were more soldiers in line with the Society of New Ozai than he expected, and he had no idea of their bending capabilities.  
“Well, to sweeten my offer, I will show you what you are risking with this decision,” Shon Ya motioned with his hand towards the rocks Aang’s friends were hiding. Feeling a sudden jolt in his stomach, Aang realized that they were far, far underprepared for this. “Bring them forward.”  
Bound and gagged, his friends were forced kicking and struggling towards Shon Ya. The Dai Li forced them to kneel, and even from the short distance Aang could see the terror in their eyes.  
“Oh no. Oh oh no this cannot be happening this cannot be happening please no-” Aang’s panicking thoughts were cut short by Shon Ya’s sickening cackle.  
“Oh? You didn’t expect us to be allied with the Dai Li did you? Well yes, it was quite easy to locate your little friends with the help of earthbending. Now, you come with us, or we’ll start picking these peasants,” he kicked Sokka harshly with his foot at these words, “one by one. Thoughts?”  
“I’ll go with you.” The words came out of Aang’s mouth without a second thought. He would rather die a thousand deaths, captured a thousand times, than watch his friends die at his hand, watch Katara die at his hand. He could handle being held captive, he could probably even escape, but he would be nothing without her by his side. The decision was effortless.  
“That quick? That’s all it took? Noted. Soldiers seize the Avatar.”  
Katara screamed at the rocks rendering her speechless, trying to say anything to get Aang to stop this. She couldn’t have him taken from her, couldn’t have him gone, there has to be some other option, something he could do?  
“Wait,” Aang said. Katara’s heart stopped, hope surging through her thinking that perhaps he was going to make the right choice. Her hopes were dashed by what he said next. “Release my friends first.”  
“And have you run off? I don’t think so.” Shon Ya clicked his tongue, shaking his head.  
“I will surrender, and go with you without a fight. But I need to know that they’re going to be safe. I promise.” Aang said this last word with emphasis. Katara almost broke down right then, he never breaks his promises.  
“Hmm. Fine.” With a wave of his hand, the gang was released and Aang was enclosed in Earth. He made no effort to defend himself, no matter how easy it would have been, in fear that the rebels would take it out on his friends. Quickly, soldiers surrounded him, shackling his arms with steel. He noticed immediately that these were not chains he could bend himself out of. How he was going to escape remained a mystery to him.  
Katara fell to her knees before running in Aang’s direction. “Aang do not do this, DO NOT DO THIS!” she felt Sokka coming up behind her, holding her back. “Let go of me, LET GO THEY’RE GOING TO TAKE HIM!” She fumbled uselessly for her water pouch, barely registering that it had been taken by the Dai Li. She had nothing to bend, and was incapable of stopping the soldiers from dragging Aang away.  
Before he was led onto the airship that had dropped down beside the army, he called over his shoulder with a hesitant smile. She was reminded vividly of that moment years ago, when Aang first came to her village. He had ensured that he would be okay, even as Zuko’s crew took him.  
“It’s alright Katara, promise.” Aang called, before he was pushed on board and the ship took off.


	2. Violation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning!! Description of sexual assault.  
> Did it break my heart to write this? Yes. Am I going to immediately start working on the next chapter so I don't have to go to bed knowing that Aang is suffering? Also yes.  
> Please comment and let me know how I'm doing with my work!

Aang came to in chains. He felt the cool metal keeping his wrists and ankles immovable, and in a standing position. His first instinct was to freak out, his memories of being held captive by the Fire Nation were far from pleasant. He slowed his rapid breathing, and attempted to recount the facts. He knew Katara and the others were safe, which calmed him down significantly. Secondly, he remembers getting knocked unconscious as soon as he stepped onto the airship. While he was out, they managed to isolate and chain him, and he checked once again to make sure he couldn’t get out. Lastly, the ship was definitely moving, so he must be on his way to the rebel headquarters.  
With this information, Aang relaxed. His friends were definitely tailing the airship, and probably summoned backup from Ba Sing Se. Things could still go according to plan, especially if they managed to locate Shon Ya’s base.  
Aang’s initial panic subsided, leaving him to acknowledge the more subtle discomforts of his situation. His mouth was dry, he hadn’t had any water since before he left to meet the rebel forces. Additionally, his staff was on the opposite end of the room, Shon Ya obviously wanted to taunt him, letting him know that they’re not worried about his ability to escape.  
Aang groaned. This was going to be incredibly inconvenient.  
The door to the chamber swung open, to reveal Shon Ya himself. The man was dressed in that ridiculous uniform, the gold on his suit glimmered in the torchlight.  
“Ah yes, my lovely Avatar. You look lovely all chained up.” The flicker in the evil man’s eye was hard to stomach, and his confidence just radiated off of him.  
Aang felt no desire to engage with him, but if there’s anything to be gained by being held here, it was information.  
“Is this what you wanted?” Aang asked, genuinely curious.  
“Well, in part,” Shon Ya circled him as he spoke, a hand coming out to stroke Aang’s shoulders, deliberately slow. “There’s more to come I assure you young Avatar.”  
“You’re going to kill me, right?” Aang wanted to know the extent of Shon Ya’s plans, what he hoped to accomplish by capturing him.  
The chuckle Shon Ya released was disgusting, Aang realized that he truly enjoyed this power trip. He was sadistic, beyond any of his further capturers.  
“No, I’m not going to kill you. That would be contradictory in ridding the world of your presence. You would simply reincarnate, leaving us to search for you in another body. So no, you are much less of a threat here, where I can keep an eye on you.” As he finished speaking, Aang felt his breath on the back of his neck, uncomfortably close. At worst, Aang had been expecting an attempted execution. If not that, then some form of physical torture, but there were no weapons or tools in sight. The room was nearly empty.  
A sick feeling began to take place in Aang’s stomach. He did not like the direction in which this was heading.  
“So, you’re going to keep me captive, away from the world until I die?” Aang questioned.  
“Sure, but it’s not going to be much fun for you.” Shon Ya continued his slow caress of Aang’s shoulders, his nails biting into his skin. “Tell me, Avatar, do you know who I am?”  
“Um, no. I’m sorry?”  
“Ah it’s okay. They tried to erase my name from memory after I was dispelled from the Fire Nation ranks. But, I believe I’m going to regain my honor quite soon.”  
At this, Aang was surprised. Shon Ya was discharged from the Fire Nation military? Why would he stay loyal to Ozai if he was essentially banished?  
“And yet you’re still fighting in the name of the firelord?” Aang was incredulous, really trying to understand the motivations behind the Society of New Ozai. He was also trying to ignore the way Shon Ya’s hand moved along his skin, and the fact that the man was standing behind him left him even more defenseless.  
“The Fire Nation military had their reasons for expelling me. That doesn’t mean we are not the superior nation, with an intrinsic entitlement to power. I will continue that fight for as long as I live.”  
“Why were you banished?” Aang held in a gasp as he felt Shon Ya grip the back of his neck harshly, forcing Aang’s head to look over his shoulder.  
“Avatar, have you heard of homosexuality?”  
Any hope Aang had of the situation not escalating vanished. His blood curdled, and every hair on his body stuck straight up. Each muscle tensed, which Shon Ya noticed and laughed.  
“I see you’re putting two and two together, Avatar.”  
Homosexuality was widely accepted in Air Nomadic culture, love was considered universal, and was not to be hindered by something as trivial as gender. But Aang knew that the other nations were far less tolerant, and it made sense as to why Shon Ya was dispelled on that account. It was not the homosexuality aspect that left Aang frozen in fear, it was the implication.  
Suddenly, his mind was racing. Shon Ya wanted revenge. He wanted to punish the man who was responsible for ending the Fire Nation’s era of destruction and power. He wanted to assert dominance, and leave the Avatar, leave Aang, crumpled in his path.  
Shon Ya was going to assault him. It was the only logical conclusion.  
The man had left Aang to process his reeling thoughts for a few moments, but his hands were becoming bolder. He stopped grazing Aang’s shoulders. and began to move down, much farther down than they should have gone.  
“W-wait, you don’t have-” Aang started, panicked, only to be cut off.  
“What? I don’t have to do this? I can stop and join you in an age of peace and kindness? Save the speech Avatar. Ever since the fall of Ozai, I have wanted to see you utterly destroyed.” His words were sharp, and each one cut into Aang like a knife. “And I’ve always dreamed of it being my doing. Seeing the almighty Avatar weak, desperate, begging, at my hand. So I thank you, for granting me a lifelong wish.”  
He paused his monologue, his groping hands slowly making their way beneath the hem of Aang’s pants, teasing fingertips dipping under the fabric.  
“Although,” Shon Ya paused his ministrations, “I guess you don’t have much of a choice.”  
With that, the slow movements of his hands ceased, and he became aggressive. Before Aang could give one last pleading protest, Shon Ya tugged the airbender’s trousers down to his ankles, leaving him fully exposed. He pulled Aang’s body flush against his own, grinding his hardened member into Aang’s backside.  
Aang knew there wasn’t much he could do to defend himself, to stop the impending violation from happening. But there was no way on Earth he was going to let this happen to him without a fight.  
He pulled at his restraints, making frantic attempts at freeing his arms, his legs. Shon Ya being behind him, meaning he can’t airbend or firebend in his direction. Bursts of fire shot from his fists, hitting the walls and dissipating instantaneously. He groaned loudly, and as he felt two rough fingers begin to penetrate him, he went into survival mode.  
The physical discomfort was bearable, but the feelings this sort of molestation invoked were not. He didn’t register the air around him start to swirl, his tattoos flashed as he let out a roar, accompanied by a hot breath of fire spreading across the room. He felt Shon Ya enter him, his hard thrusts were intolerable, leaving Aang breathless, His whole body tensed at the unwelcome intrusion, and the pain.  
The pain was searing hot, tearing him apart from the inside out. He didn’t want to cry, he didn’t want to give this monster the satisfaction of seeing him break. But he felt an especially deep push into his body and his knees buckled, the chains and Shon Ya’s grip on his hips the only forces keeping him upright.  
Once the first tear fell down his face, he couldn’t stop the rest. He silently wept, his feeble attempts to protect himself came to a stop as his attacker continued to assault him from behind. He hung limp, suspended by a metal he couldn’t bend, tethered to his suffering.  
Aang had never felt weaker, never felt more wronged, more disgusted by himself. There was nothing he could do, his mind going blank as the pain overcame his senses. The only thing he could think of was Katara.  
He thought of returning to her, seeing her again. If she ever found out about this, about him being mercilessly used by Shon Ya, she would never touch him again. Aang doubted he’d ever be able to look in a mirror after this, and imagining her seeing that same image of repulsion in his face, the face she once loved, caused a new wave of sobs to wreck his body.  
Shon Ya was not only taking his dignity, he was stealing Aang’s ability to be loved.  
Caught off guard by a change in pace, Aang cried out loudly. This seemed to further encourage the man behind him, who only pounded into him harder. He felt Shon Ya rest his head on Aang’s shoulder, snickering softly in his ear.  
“No more fighting Avatar? Just pathetic wailing? Look at you, supposedly the most powerful being on this planet, and yet you succumb to me.” With that, Shon Ya’s hips stuttered, his thrusts becoming more erratic as he neared his completion. He wrapped one hand around the base of Aang’s throat, cutting off his air supply. Aang choked, gasping against Shon Ya’s grip. His tears fell at a quickened rate, his whole body shaking and trembling.  
After what seemed like centuries, Shon Ya finished. He emptied himself inside Aang, who had never felt a more sickening sensation in his life. Reveling in his position of power, the Fire Nation rebel stayed put for a few minutes, panting into Aang’s ear. Eventually, he pulled out slowly before redressing himself. He dragged Aang’s trousers up his legs, and tied his belt in the manner he had found it.  
“To answer your question earlier, I am not going to kill you. But this, this is your new purpose. To be mine.”  
Aang’s eyes stayed shut as Shon Ya left the room, slamming the chamber door behind him. Just an hour ago, he was sure his friends were going to help him escape. But now he didn’t know if he could ever face them again. He pictures Katara, her gentle beauty and unwavering spirit seeing what he just experienced and he found himself becoming sick all over the floor in front of him. Now that he was alone, he allowed himself to sob. Tears dripped onto the ground, his head hung in shame and humiliation.  
He knew he’d failed the world before, but for the first time he feels the impact of failing himself.


	3. Facade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning !! mentions of past sexual assault
> 
> Hello friends ! My intentions in writing this were to make things better for my favorite characters after the turmoil in chapter two, but any survivor knows that it gets worse before it gets better.   
> Please read and comment, let me know how you feel about the storyline!

Katara’s knuckles were white as she gripped Appa’s reins. The group had been tailing the airship for two days, and she had not eaten or slept since taking off. She knew the others were concerned for her well being, but she honestly couldn’t care less. Because they have him. The Society of New Ozai has Aang, and she cannot begin to consider herself when she knew he was locked away, in danger.  
As soon as they left on Appa, Katara insisted that they go down to rescue him immediately. But her friends reminded her of their ultimate goal, to find the rebel base and put an end to this entirely.   
Hence, she was powerless. She kept her eyes trained on the airship in the distance, occasionally summoning the surrounding clouds to keep them covered. She was startled when she felt someone sit beside her, and she whipped her head around to meet Sokka’s eyes.   
“Katara, you need to rest. Who knows when we’re going to get there and you’re going to need your strength.” His voice was stern, but had a sensitive undertone, gently encouraging her to take a breath.  
“Sokka I-I can’t believe I let him go. I knew something was wrong before Shon Ya even arrived and I did nothing. What if something happens to him now? What if we get there and he’s not even-”  
“Don’t say that. They’re not going to kill him,” Sokka stated. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself, but he continued regardless. “He’s fine. Now please, he’s going to kill me if he finds out I let you get away with not sleeping for days on end. I laid out a blanket for you, I’ll steer.” He took the reins from her hands and nudged her towards Appa’s saddle.   
She hesitated, but ultimately knew he was right. She fell onto the furs Sokka laid out, next to Suki. She lulled herself into a restless slumber.

\---

Aang wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he first encountered Shon Ya. There were no windows in his chamber, and the only times they fed him were scattered and irregular. But he was aware of the sound of Shon Ya’s footsteps, and that horrible feeling of being violated. It occurred twice more, and each time he felt himself become more and more numb.  
His wrists ached from being suspended for days, being the only things keeping him standing half the time. He felt like death on two legs, and he was positive it would only take a glance in his direction to know that he was not doing well.  
He was jolted awake by the sound of metal hitting the ground. The entire aircraft shook with the force of landing, and Aang was filled with a sense of relief and dread.   
On one hand, this means he was closer to being released. Closer to never having to see Shon Ya again. But on the other, he would have to face Katara.  
His chamber door swung open, causing him to cringe out of reflex. That sound had become all too associated with Shon Ya. But in came two unnamed soldiers. Aang knew they were probably going to knock him unconscious again, so he could be transported from the airship to the base. He welcomed the darkness as steel hit his head.

\---

The next time Aang wakes up, his head is throbbing and his body feels heavy, as if every limb was filled with gravel. He groaned, and shifted from his lying position until he was sitting upright. He closed his eyes shut before opening them to take in his surroundings.   
He found himself in his and Katara’s room back in Ba Sing Se, everything was exactly how he left it days ago. Her hairbrush rested on the vanity, next to a framed picture of the two of them from Zuko’s coronation. He felt his heartbeat pickup as he realized that things were not going to be the same between them. He was no longer a pure and respectable Avatar, a loving boyfriend, he was tainted and dirty and not at all deserving of her affection.   
The door to his room opened and found himself collapsing in on himself, the sound alone triggering Shon Ya’s memory.  
“Aang? Oh sweetie, you’re awake!” Katara set her healing water on the dresser and ran towards him, engulfing him in a bone crushing hug.   
Aang immediately tensed, and couldn’t bring himself to return the embrace. The last time someone touched him…  
Katara noticed his hesitancy and pulled away slightly to look him in the eyes, scanning his face to try to understand what was wrong.  
“Aang, is everything okay? I was so worried that something was going to happen to you..” She trailed off, not wanting to entertain the thought.  
“I’m fine.” He was short with her, a very rare occurrence. She paused, retracting her arms from around him.   
“What happened? What’s going on?” She noticed how he refused to meet her eyes, and kept his gaze staring at the wall behind her. The look on his face was one he only had when he was deep in his thoughts, plagued by past memories.   
“Nothing. Just shaken up I guess. But seriously, I’m fine.” With that, he stood from the bed and made his way to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He hunched over the sink, breathing heavily as he gripped the counter for support. Knowing he was going to regret it, he slowly raised his head to look at his reflection in the mirror. What he saw looking back at him would have looked normal to anyone else, but all he could see was a disaster. A failure. A sick toy used for another’s enjoyment.   
He felt himself becoming sick, and barely made it to the toilet before dry heaving repeatedly, his stomach lurching.   
He fell into a sitting position, pulling his knees close to him and resting his head on the wall behind him. It didn’t feel much better knowing that he had left Katara hurt and confused in their bedroom. He wanted desperately to fall into her arms and let her touch comfort him, but the thought of anyone laying a hand on him right now sent a fresh wave of dry heaves through his body.   
He collapsed onto the floor, curling into a fetus position, shaking uncontrollably. He wanted out of his body, this prison holding him captive. He had felt pain and guilt numerous times before, but something about this was different. He had never felt so worthless.  
After lying there for spirits know how long he got up. He needed to pull himself together if he didn’t want to alarm the others. He ran a bath, the water much hotter than was comfortable. He scrubbed at his body for ages, each inch of skin turning red and irritated. He wanted any trace of Shon Ya gone, but no matter how much he washed himself he couldn’t get rid of the feeling. Eventually, he shaved his head, a light layer of stubble had grown out since his departure.   
When Aang left the bathroom, a towel snug around his waist, he found Katara sitting on the bed, hands clasped together. She looked up at him with concern in her eyes, and he realized that she had probably heard him throwing up. He didn’t have an excuse ready, so he chose not to acknowledge it and quickly got dressed, wanting to hide his body from her as much as possible.  
He made some lame excuse to leave, claiming he wanted to check on Appa, before practically running from the room.   
Katara was left stunned. Aang never pushed her away like that, never hesitated to return her love and affection. Hearing him in the bathroom was evidence that something was wrong, something had happened when he was gone and it hurt that he didn’t trust her enough to share. She just wanted him to be okay, for the world to stop torturing his too kind soul and let him live.

\---

Aang was gone for the rest of the day. The group was mildly concerned, but didn’t think too much of it, for sometimes he takes his glider to fly out of the city for a while. But Katara knew better, he was running from something.  
She tried not to let on how worried she was as her hands chopped the vegetables for dinner roughly, but her thoughts were distracting, and before she knew it she had sliced her thumb on the knife.  
“Ouch, spirits that hurt.” She cursed, gripping her thumb tightly to stop the bleeding. Sokka came over to check the wound, and scold her for not being careful.   
At that moment, Aang walked through the entrance and came upon the sight of Katara bleeding and the rest of his friends surprised at his sudden appearance.   
“Hey Twinkletoes, your girlfriend cut herself.” Toph said, slicing through the tension in the room. She just chucked lychee nuts into her mouth, unconcerned.   
“Katara, you’re hurt?” Aang dropped his glider and came to check on her.   
“Aang sweetie I’m alright, just a little kitchen accident.” She smiled, and noticed how his hands clenched at his sides, before coming to grab her wrist and turn her hand so he could see the wound. Katara was the only one to recognize the slight tremor in his grip, and how he seemed uncertain about touching her.  
Aang didn’t say anything as he pulled water from the sink and held it to the older girl’s hand, the healing glow illuminating his stone cold facial features. His healing abilities were crude, to say the least, she insisted on teaching him the basics about a year back, before he left on a solo trip to the Fire Nation. But nonetheless, within minutes the cut on her thumb vanished, and she moved it around to assess his work.   
“Nice job, Avatar. Your healing has gotten much better since you tried to help Sokka with that boomerang accident.” Katara praised him. Aang’s hands fell back to his sides as he forced a smile.  
“Yeah,” snickered Toph, “only a true meathead could injure himself with his own weapon.’Sokka’s face flushed at this, not enjoying the reminder of one of his less than proud moments.   
“It was one time, will you guys drop it already?” He turned to finish chopping the vegetables, welcoming the task as he attempted to escape from the teasing.  
“Well now that you’re okay, I’m going to head to bed. Long day flying.” Aang honestly just wanted to leave, being around his friends without them knowing that he didn’t deserve to even look at them was difficult.   
“What? We haven’t even had dinner. You’re probably hungry,” Katara saw right through his “tired” facade, questioning him.   
“No no, I found some berries in the surrounding forest. I just need to rest.” Without giving anyone the time to protest, he grabbed his glider and swiftly made his way up the stairs.  
Katara looked after him, brow furrowed, debating between going after him or giving him space.  
“What’s up with him?” Sokka asked.  
“I don’t know..” Katara shook her head and returned to helping prepare dinner. 

\---

The next few weeks passed by anticlimactically. Aang’s alarming behavior became more and more masked, almost returning to normal. He smiled more often, albeit a little forcefully, and went back to sparring with Toph and Katara regularly. He had put in a great deal of effort to try to act as he had before, not wanting to draw any attention to his internal storm of emotions.   
He spent a great deal of time meditating, but instead of processing the trauma he just worked to numb it, just enough so that the suffering would lie beneath the surface.  
Apparently, he was a better actor than he anticipated, fooling even his attentive girlfriend.   
The only thing that Aang hadn’t been able to do was be intimate with Katara.   
Before he was captured, they had a frequent and enjoyable sex life. They loved each other more than life itself, and he took every opportunity to prove it. But since his return, they had yet to make love.  
It’s not that he didn’t want to, everytime they slept together he was intoxicated by the idea of making her feel good. Being able to manifest his love into something tangible was beautiful, and he enjoyed it immensely. But everytime she initiated, he experienced such vivid flashbacks it was nearly blinding. On each occasion, he had been able to make some sort of excuse, or redirect the attention from him onto her. He could bring himself to pleasure her, although it took quite a bit of effort to distract himself from the intrusive thoughts as he did so, and his hands would shake with the effort of staying present. But he couldn’t force himself to go all the way. He knew she suspected something, but she hadn’t mentioned it explicitly. She only urged him to go further, entirely oblivious.  
In fact, Katara assumed their lack of intimacy was her fault. Maybe he was no longer attracted to her? When he got back from Shon Ya’s airship, it had taken days for her to be able to even hug him without him flinching. Perhaps he was mad at her for allowing Shon Ya to take him? She wanted to bring up the issue, but didn’t want him to feel guilty. Such an opportunity presented itself one night, as they were passionately kissing in their bed.   
Her hands trailed down his muscled torso, inching towards the hem of his belt, before he stopped her by interlacing their fingers. Weeks of nerves and insecurities flowed out of her mouth before she could stop herself.  
“Aang,” She gasped, parting from his lips to look at him.   
At first, he was relieved that they stopped, no matter how much he loved her he felt guilty everytime they kissed. Bringing himself to do it was difficult, especially knowing that if she found out about his assault she would never do it again. He felt like he was lying to her, tricking her into loving something so broken.  
But as soon as she saw the uncertainty on her face, he felt a rush of anxiety go through him, knowing that delaying this conversation was no longer possible. He faked a smile in her direction, pleading to the spirits that she wouldn’t notice the look in his eyes.   
“Yes Katara?” Aang said simply, maybe there was a way to salvage his cover?  
“Do you- do you still love me?” She asked, biting her lip and failing to meet his eyes.   
With that, Aang’s heart stuttered and his eyes widened. He felt horrible, how could he mess up so badly that she thought he didn’t love her? What kind of person allows their own suffering to fall onto the shoulders of the person they care for more than anything, and make them feel anything less than wanted?  
“What? Katara, of course I love you, more than anything. You’re my whole world.” He brought a trembling hand to the side of her face, stroking his thumb along her cheekbone. “What makes you doubt that?”  
“It’s just, we don’t make love anymore and I don’t want to make you feel pressured into it but I can’t help noticing that you don’t want to.” A tear escaped from her eye and fell towards the sheets and she closed them to stop any more from coming.   
Seeing her cry, and realizing that it’s his fault, broke something deep within Aang. He decided right then and there that he was going to make love to her, so that she didn’t feel undesired, unloved.   
Such a decision was nerve wracking, terrifying actually, but he called upon each and every meditative breathing practice he knew to calm and numb himself. Maybe if he went on autopilot he could get through this without breaking down. He had to, for her,   
He leaned forward and kissed her, hard. Katara gasped, but then responded enthusiastically. Her pent up desire broke through her, and she quickly found herself on her back, Aang resting between her legs. Their clothes flew off their bodies, falling unceremoniously to the floor.   
She moaned loudly, writhing on the sheets as he licked her, no matter how many times they did this she was always blown away by how amazing it felt. Once she was wet enough, and sufficiently aroused, he entered her.   
The flashbacks, the memory of Shon Ya was never as clear as it was to Aang in that moment. His body remembered the trauma strikingly, and his breathing quickened in the beginnings of panic. He buried his face in her neck, trying to block out the feelings, the thoughts, biting the inside of his mouth until it bled. In a moment of clarity, he realized that he had been too still for too long. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to replicate the motion that had left him so violated, but he reminded himself that it would be pathetic if he failed to make love to his girlfriend.   
So he began to thrust, the slow movements allowed him to think too clearly, so he sped up until he was pounding into her, hard. He didn’t move his head from the crook of her neck, trying to sink into the mattress and just disappear entirely. He blocked out everything, Katara included, putting all of his effort into trying to keep from panicking.   
Katara was caught off gaurd by this side of Aang, usually sex between them was loving and languid, gentle strokes and caresses. Sometimes it was rougher, which was just as appreciated, but they hadn’t slept together in weeks and she was tighter than usual. She covered her mouth with one hand, trying to stifle the surprised noises of discomfort she emitted. He didn’t seem to realize the state she was in, so she gripped his shoulder to get his attention.  
“Aang,” She started, but he didn’t hear her, but instead just continued his movements. She said his name again, just a tad louder. “Aang, sweetie could you slow down just a little? It kind of hurts.”  
This declaration jolted him from his delicate state of shutting down, and he turned to look at her. Tears bristled in her eyes and threatened to spill over her beautiful skin. He jumped off of her, nearly falling off the bed in the process. He looked at her with so much shock and terror across his features that her heart broke.  
“Sweetie it’s okay, we haven’t had sex in a while and-” Katara was cut off by him getting up, never taking his eyes off of her as he stumbled back and hit the nearest wall. Aang felt his knees start to buckle and the feelings of overwhelm began to take over. He had to leave, now. He raced towards the spot on the floor where his pants had been discarded and put them on quickly.   
“Aang, what’s wrong?” Katara stood and made her way towards him, reaching out for his hand. “I’m okay, you don’t have to-”  
“Don’t come any closer.” He said. He had his glider in his hand, and his face was contorted into an expression of panic, he stepped back from her until he was once again against the wall. He couldn’t breathe, something that almost never happened, he always was in control of his native element. Liquid fire began to race underneath his skin and he squeezed his eyes closed with force.  
Ignoring his request in her desperation to help him, Katara came one step closer and grazed her fingers along his wrist. “Sweetie please tell me what’s going on I’m scared.”  
“DON’T TOUCH ME.” Aang yelled and jumped halfway across the room. He hadn’t meant to raise his voice but his vision was going out as his panic attack progressed, and he felt like he was drowning. He looked at her with frantic, crazed eyes and couldn’t stand the bewildered fear he saw. He had to go. He had to go before he caused any more damage to the woman he loved.   
Not bothering to put on shoes or a shirt, he took his glider and jumped through the window, flying through the night sky with no destination in mind.


	4. Pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning !! Brief mentions of sexual assault. 
> 
> I did in fact stay up all night creating this chapter. Working on this story gives me so much relief, writing is truly a form of therapy.   
> It would mean the world to me if you left a quick review ! I have never written like this before and would love to know how readers are perceiving my work.   
> Happy reading !

Katara stood in her bedroom, their bedroom, absolutely stunned. The tears she had been holding back began to trail down her face in his absence, and she was struck with the idea that she had done something very wrong.  
She shouldn’t have pressured him, should have chosen her words more carefully so she hadn’t unintentionally guilted him into having sex with her. Aang was usually such an attentive lover, putting her needs before his own in a heartbeat. It was just in his nature.  
But tonight, just minutes ago, it was different. He seemed so distracted, verging on uncomfortable, like he was forcing himself to sleep with her. She dragged an unsteady head across her face, more than unsure about how to proceed.  
Katara thought it was obvious that Aang didn’t want to be around her, and in any other instance she would have given him that desired space. But he seemed so frantic, so unstable before he left that she worried for his safety out in the night. Her calm and collected boyfriend could be so reckless with himself when upset, and she shuddered at the thought of hurting him again in one night, even if by neglect.  
With a new air of determination, she redressed quickly and added some warmer layers to bear the evening cold. Katara slipped out of the room and all but ran down the stairs before coming into the living room. She didn’t expect to encounter Toph and Suki wide awake and chatting lively on the couch.  
Katara made her way to move past them, her desire to find and console a wild Aang causing her to ignore simple pleasantries.  
“Hey Sugar Queen,” Toph started, causing Katara to clench her jaw as she whipped around to face her. “I heard some angry yelling from upstairs, did Aang accidentally set the curtains on fire again?”   
Toph’s relentless teasing never failed to get under her skin, although she knew it ultimately veiled the earthbender’s concern.   
“No. He left. I’m going to find him.” Katara retorted curtly, not wanting to give any intimate details while wasting time she should spend locating Aang.  
“Oh, is everything okay? We can come with you.” Suki began to stand from the sofa before Katara stopped her.  
“No!” she cried, then composed herself and gave her caring friends the explanation they deserved. “No, it’s- it’s my fault and I need to fix it. I’ll take Appa so I’ll get back safe.”  
The two girls on the couch exchanged a look, Katara’s nervous demeanor and tear-stained cheeks did not go unnoticed.   
“Okay. Whatever. Go fly away into the night and find your bald and lanky damsel in distress.” Toph cracked, kicking her feet back up onto the coffee table.  
“I think she means ‘please be careful and come back soon’, which I second.” Suki gave her a reassuring smile, to which Katara nodded and hastily left the house.   
She jogged towards Appa’s stable, just ways away from the building. Aang always liked to keep him as close as possible, claiming that ‘he wants to be close to his family too!’ with a grin far too wide for his face.  
She didn’t bother with the saddle, but instead just hopped on to Appa and gripped the reins. “Come on Appa, I’m really sorry to wake you but Aang’s gone. Yip yip.”  
As they took off into the air, she realized that she had no idea where Aang would have gone. It had to have been out of Ba Sing Se, for whenever he was upset he sought solace in nature rather than a bustling city.   
Katara urged the bison to go quickly into the surrounding woods, her eyes scanning for any sign of Aang. Not too far off in the distance, near one of the mountain’s cliffs, she saw a distinct orange light, flickering. Her heart dropped as she smelled smoke, the fire was an obvious indicator of Aang’s location.   
Appa seemed to sense her urgency, and he moved swiftly through the air, landing far enough away from the fire so he didn’t feel its heat. The element still triggered him, reminding him of his lost days, and certain malicious Fire Princesses.  
Katara slid down the bison’s side as she sprinted in the flame’s direction. She stumbled over her own feet as she heard the distinct sound of trees collapsing and Aang’s audible wrath.  
She broke through the trees to see a newly found clearing, formed entirely by Aang. Wood crackled as flames slowly chewed at the tree trunks, and air blasts had uprooted a small forest. Jagged daggers of ice jutted out from the ground, not 10 feet away from where she now stood, surrounded by broken chunks of earth, each the size of a fully grown sabertooth moose lion.   
He had demonstrated the devastating affects of the four elements, in the way only the Avatar could. If Katara wasn’t aware that his pain was the motivation behind such a feat, she would have been in awe of his strength. His loving personality and nurturing ideals gave the illusion that he was incapable of such raw power, when it was truly far from the opposite.   
Shaken from her initial shock, Katara maneuvered around the flaming woods in his direction. She had never been scared of him in these moments, the Avatar’s abilities were just so much a part of Aang as his crooked smile, and she meant it when she said she loved every bit of him.   
Though she wasn’t sure if he still returned those feelings, judging by his guarded stance as she approached him. The thought hurt, but in the moment she couldn’t bring herself to care. She wasn’t here because of how he felt about her, she was here because his happiness meant more to her than her own.   
Katara paused a couple steps away from him, not wanting to reach out due to his response when she touched him in the bedroom. He was turned away from her, fists clenched and chest heaving. She picked up on a slight tremble in his shoulders, barely contained emotion boiling under his skin.   
“Katara, what are you doing here.” It was not a question as much as an accusation, Aang’s voice sounded collected although she knew it was false.   
“Aang you’re not okay, something happened when you were gone and you don’t have to deal with it alone. I love you, I’m here and-“ she stopped once he whipped around to look at her. Katara had expected to see anger in his face, but instead she saw tears. Tears, and too much sadness and self-hatred for any one person to handle.   
“You wouldn’t be here if you knew. You don’t love me and I don’t blame you. You loved what I was, not what I am now.” Aang stated, his grey eyes piercing her own with so much intensity she almost fell back.   
Katara felt like he was in the Avatar state in a sense, not literally, but he was so hurt, angry and detached he might as well have been glowing. Aang was also trying to push her away, trying to fulfill this stupid narrative of his that he deserves to feel this way, that he had to face the world on his own and she’d be damned if she let him.   
“I love Aang, and you’ll always be Aang. Nothing could change that, but please sweetie you have to let me in I love-“  
“HE TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME. I DON’T KNOW WHAT I AM ANYMORE. AANG IS THE LAST THING I WANT TO BE!” He punctuated his words with angry blasts of fire in the direction of some of the remaining trees. The force of the blasts alone caused Katara to shield her face from the heat, as the trees toppled to the ground.   
“Aang what did he do, what did Shon Ya do to you?” Katara pleaded with the man she loved, wanting to take all this turmoil from him and bear it instead.   
Aang flinched at the name, he hadn’t heard it spoken out loud in weeks. It broke through his angry defense mechanisms and caused him to collapse to the floor, much like the smoking trees.   
Katara came to his side in seconds, still hesitant to touch him. But she needed him to know she was there, and she wasn’t leaving.   
“Sweetie, please, tell me.” Katara begged him, her eyes glistening even more as she saw the burns on his arms and chest. Whether they were purposeful or not, they were definitely self-inflicted.   
It was quiet for a moment, the only noise in a mile radius were the burning woods encircling them. She didn’t think he was going to answer, until a whimpered voice pierced through the thick air.   
“He violated me.” Aang’s words hung stagnant between them. He pulled his knees into his chest and buried his face, sobbing gently. Now that he had confessed this, he felt like it only cemented the truth. He was broken.   
Katara wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, violated how? Surely he didn’t mean…  
Suddenly it all clicked. The negative responses to physical contact, his reaction to sex, his prolonged disappearances and forced smiles.   
Shon Ya had violated him in the most intimate way he could have. Aang had been sexually assaulted.   
The realization hit Katara like a ton of bricks. She felt sick, the blood draining from her face at the thought of ANYONE laying a hand on her love…  
“You can go now. I don’t really think I can handle rejection at the moment. I don’t hold it against you.” He spoke softly, head still hidden in his knees. His demeanor now drastically juxtaposed the scene she had first seen when she entered the clearing.   
Katara couldn’t bring herself to speak, to contradict him. The mix of emotions she was feeling left her speechless. She wanted to hug him, kiss him and absorb every last bit of pain he had endured in the last several weeks. But she didn’t, she knew now that being touched was a trigger for him. Eventually, she shook her head and collected her thoughts before starting.   
“Aang I’m not going to leave you. Never.” She knew it wasn’t enough to dispel his fears, but it was a start.   
“Wh- what ?” He looked up at Katara so rapidly she could have sworn he gave himself whiplash. “Katara, I don’t think you understand.. he touched me. He put his hands all over me and it hurt. The feeling of him in- inside me hurt so bad. He left me used and dirty and broken and i can’t even look in the mirror without-“ she stopped his rambling by coming to sit directly in front of him, placing her hands on either side of his bare feet, as close as she dared to get.   
“Sweetie I can’t imagine. I can’t imagine what that felt like. But you are none of those things. You are so beautiful inside and out and I love you. No one, especially not someone as monstrous as him, could ever change that. Probably not even you.”   
Katara chose her words carefully, not wanting to say Shon Ya’s name to him. Sheer adrenaline alone kept her from breaking down into sobs of her own, but she wanted to be strong for Aang. She wanted to show him that it was going to be okay.   
For the first time in weeks, the look in his eyes seemed to relax a bit as he met her steady gaze. He still had his arms wound tightly around himself, clutching at his thin pants. For a second, Aang didn’t look sixteen. He looked like he had just come out of the iceberg: young, scared, alone and utterly lost.   
“Katara do you mean that?” He almost refrained from asking, not wanting to know if she just said it to make him feel better in the moment.   
Katara softened at this as well, keeping herself from falling into him and holding him as firmly as she could.   
“Of course I do. I love you Aang. I always will.” She wanted to see him smile, a real smile, for the first time in what felt like forever. “Scars and Avatar shenanigans included.”   
Unfortunately, he did not give in to her lame attempts at humor, and only kept his eyes trained on the ground.   
“I’m sorry I hurt you earlier. I wasn’t ready to make love to you, and I realize now that I should have told you instead of faking feeling normal. I’m so sorry I hurt you like that, I know it doesn’t feel good.”   
Katara understood now why his reaction back in their room had been so intense, he felt like he had done the same thing to her as was done to him.   
“No, no Aang I should be the one apologizing to you. I noticed something was off and pushed you to do something that only hurt you more.” She countered, chewing on the inside of her cheek.   
“You couldn’t have known.” With these words Aang unwound one arms from around his legs and rested a hand on top of hers.   
It was the first physical contact he had initiated since the assault, the first one that didn’t scare him. Katara reveled in his touch, melting at the feeling of his skin against hers, and his trust in her.   
“Rape doesn’t make you broken Aang, it makes you a survivor. You’ve always been one, and we’re going to get through this, okay?” Katara interlaced their fingers and stroked her thumb across the hand of his hand. “You don’t have to feel obligated to touch me, we’re going to go as slowly as you need so that it doesn’t hurt. The only thing I need from you is to talk to me, you can’t shut me out.”  
He can only bring himself to nod. Each and every way he saw this conversation playing out could not compare to what she had expressed to him. She accepted him, trauma and all.   
They wordlessly stood, reading the other in a way only they could. Together, they summoned water from the trees still intact to put out the dying fires.   
Katara began to lead the way to Appa, but before she could exit their little clearing he felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and stumbled as Aang hugged her tighter than he ever had. She responded immediately, gripping his sides as he rested his chin on her head. He bent down to give a kiss to her forehead and whispered into her ear.   
“Thank you.”


End file.
